


Uphill and Don't Look Back

by losingallchill



Category: Voltron - Fandom, Voltron Legendary Defender, vld - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Fantasy AU, Heith - Freeform, Hunk and Keith, Slow Burn, flirtyrobot, fuckplant - Freeform, katie and lance, lance and katie, lance and pidge, pidgance, pidge and lance, plance, plance slow burn ish, seasalt, slight heith?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 23:56:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17213240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/losingallchill/pseuds/losingallchill
Summary: Secret Santa for Paladorks Server- I really liked it so I'm reposting it here !





	1. Chapter 1

At first, Lance could only hear his rough breathing, as he flew into the forest, chased by guards. He needed to find somewhere to hide, and fast. Every step he took, he grew slower in his attempts. He realized it was too late, and he’d simply have to fend them off at this point. Damn it. Lance gritted his teeth, pulling his sword out of his sheath. He really didn’t want to kill any soldiers again. The soldiers surrounded him, the large  _ K  _ on their armor glinting brightly in the sunlight. Lance gulped, and hoped that that letter wouldn’t be the last thing he’d ever see. One came at him, and Lance placed his feet, his brow set and determined. He’s not going to die here. Not here, not now. 

Before he knew it, the three guards had come in close, and Lance’s eyes darted around, scared. He dodged the blow that came at him, hearing his shirt rip as the guard’s sword ripped off a sleeve. Lance grumbled, and used the blunt end to knock one guard out, rolling away from the other two, and causing a collision. He didn’t wait around for them, and hightailed it out of there.

Lance ran a few miles, before he was completely sure that he had lost the guards, stopping to catch his breath. “I need- to find- some- place to hide- and- eat-” he panted, thoroughly exhausted. He heard the sound of running water, and perked up, looking around in the direction of the water. He began listening closely, and, once he had regained enough energy, took large faerie jumps to the source of the sound. Upon finding it, Lance looked around, trying to find the source, and following the river. He wandered a few miles, before he found a band of water nymphs. He approached timidly, for faeries and nymphs don’t exactly have the best relationship. His foot stepped on a stick, and it snapped with a loud  _ crack.  _ Lance winced as the entire tribe of nymphs turned to face him. He gulped, and attempted a nervous smile. 

“U-Uh- hi?” he managed, his stomach churning. 

One nymph in particular stepped forward. “Who are you?” They asked, stepping forwards. 

Lance gulped once more, raising his arms. “I-uh- I come in peace! My name’s Lance- and- I- heh-” he searched for words, as they stared at him. 

The leader pointed their spear at him, and he stumbled back, falling and scooting backwards until he hit a tree. The nymph kept advancing, glaring at him, until she was near enough to push his chin up with the tip of her spear. “Where do you hail from?” She asked, her face stern. 

“I- I- may or may not have escaped from the city-” Lance offered hesitantly. 

Her eyes widened, and she stepped back, bowing her head in apology. “My apologies, I did not know you managed to escape from such a place. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Lance. We are the Altean Water tribe, and we grant you asylum.” 

Lance began to smile, raising an eyebrow and looking at all the rather dazzling nymphs before him. “Pleased to meet you my lady-” he said, standing and sweeping her a bow. “The name’s Lance McClain, but you can call me anything you’d like.” He took her hand, and brought it to his face, pressing a kiss on it. The leader cocked an eyebrow, not swayed by Lance’s silver tongue. 

“Pleasure.” She said stiffly. “I am Allura of the Altean Tribe, and this is my second in command, Romelle.”

Lance glanced up to see a perky young blonde waving enthusiastically at her. He stood and gave her a bow as well. “What a pleasure little lady.” 

Allura crossed her arms, and lifted her head. “You have only been granted asylum, Lance. Pray tell, what is it you need to aid you on your journey?” 

Lance stood hastily, getting back to business. “That’s right. I only require the basics of food, water and clothing, seeing as my clothes were torn by the guards. Is that okay?”

Allura nodded, motioning to him to follow her. “Come with us. I will take you to see my father, and he should be able to provide you with clothes. As for water, the river here is safe to drink, and we will get to work, packaging up materials for you. Is there anything else you need?”

Lance thought, and shook his head. “I don’t believe so. Thank you my princess.” He winked, and she rolled her eyes, looking away from him. 

Lance was taken to the base of the water nymphs, where he watched the tribe get to work packaging food for him. He was taken to the tailor, Coran, to be measured and put into new clothing. 

“Y’know Coran, I’ve been called quite the tailor as well in my time-” Lance started. 

“Is that so?” Coran asked, his mouth full of pine needles as he was fitting Lance’s outfits. 

“Yeah, but I don’t think I’ve ever used pine needles as pins before.”

Coran nodded busily, as he pinned fabrics together. “You lived in the city, no? They have many resources there that we as a tribe can only dream of. If the legend is true, we might be welcomed back into the city once more.”

Lance blinked. “Legend?”

Coran looked at him. “You haven’t heard the legend? It states that there will be a band of four, two faeries, a pixie and a demon, who join forces to take down Kuron and return the kingdom to what it used to be. However, many people believe that the legend is false, because it merely hasn’t come to pass yet. The Alteans however, we believe that one day, our saviors will come and allow all creatures back into the city.”

Lance hummed thoughtfully. “Do you believe it Coran?” He asked, trying to hold his stiff pose. 

Coran continued pinning, shrugging. “I certainly don’t see any harm in believing it. If it brings hope to the people, and keeps their spirit up, then yes indeed, I believe in it.”

Lance gave a smile, thinking how wise Alteans must be, to think so positively in this time of war. Coran soon shattered that fantasy by finishing up. “By the way, did you ever see my mustache? It took ages to grow it out too, but it’s finally at that roguish-middle aged nymph look-”

Lance remained silent, raising an eyebrow. “Okay-? It’s- uh- it’s nice?” 

Coran finished up, stepping back to look at it. “How’s that young sir? Feel good? Fit correctly? Any adjustments needed?”

Lance shook his head, examining himself. “No- uh- it looks great! Thank you sir!”

Coran waved a hand. “Aw shucks kid. Just remember us when you go on to do great things!”

Lance pressed a hand to his heart. “That- that was kind of you sir. I will-”

Coran had him change back into his normal clothes while he made the adjustments that were pinned, before having Lance try it on one more time. “Any final adjustments?” He asked, walking around to inspect him. 

Lance struck a few poses, before grinning. “Nah! Looks great! Thank you!” 

Coran simply smiled and packed up Lance’s old clothes, handing them to him. “These were mended as well, while you tried those on. Miss Allura wishes to see you now, to bid you goodbye.”

Lance nodded. “Bye Coran! And thanks- a lot-”

Coran waved as Lance was ushered away. Once Lance left, Coran gave a smile, opening up a book. “Legends do come true, and that boy will certainly find himself in the thick of this one. Good luck, McClain.”

Lance found Allura, and flushed under her gaze. “How- how do I look?” He asked, suddenly slightly self-conscious under her gaze. 

Allura squinted, before clapping her hands together and giving him a smile. “You look stunning! I hope the clothing is suited to your taste, for if not, we can gladly redo them.”

Lance shook his head, “They’re great actually!” He sank into a bow, taking Allura’s hand. “I owe you much m’lady, perhaps the next time we meet, we could have dinner? Just the two of us?”

Allura raised an eyebrow, pulling her hand away gently. “We’ll see. My friends have packed your bags with food, as well as directions to a friend of mine. If you find yourself in trouble, just follow the trees, and you’ll find her. I do hope you stay safe, Lance.” She gave him a soft smile, before turning back to assist her tribe. 

Lance found himself wearing a goofy smile, before shaking his head to clear his thoughts, and setting out once more. “Follow the trees, huh?” He asked, curious about this female friend that Allura had mentioned. “Who knows, maybe she’ll be cute-” 

With that, he set off on the next part of his journey, taking a water bottle out, and beginning to take careful sips from it. He figured if he followed the river once again, he could stay with a fresh water source, and not have to drink sparingly. 

Lance traveled on foot for a few hours, and the sky became darker and darker. He eventually reached a clearing, where he stopped to catch his breath. What was his goal in the woods anyway? What was he going to do, now that he had escaped the kingdom? Live in the forest, while his family, and many others suffered day to day? Lance set his packs down on a log, and sat with a exhausted sigh. Might as well see what’s in the pack. He opened one to find food and water, and he took out a loaf of bread and a bottle full of light green liquid. A note fell out along with the liquid, and he raised an eyebrow, opening it up. It was too dark to read however, and he put it aside for the time being, searching the other pack for some candles that he had stashed before he escaped, as well as a stack of matches. He fumbled around for a bit, digging for them, until he found the pack, lighting a candle on fire. 

_ Lance McClain, I have sent you many drinks and potions that may come in use in your travels. The green drinks are for times of absolute need, they award you great knowledge and strength. The pink drinks are for extreme injury, to heal yourself or others. The purple drinks are grape juice, for energy, and you have water. I do hope this helps you, and I wish you luck.  _

_ Regards, Allura _

Lance gave a sleepy smile, looking at Allura’s precise handwriting. “God, she’s something, isn’t she?” He mumbled, to himself. He shook himself out of his daze, and started setting up a safe area to sleep, yawning occasionally. A few hours later, the sky was the darkest it was since he started, and he was pretty tired, feeling his guard slip. He flopped down on his makeshift bed, falling into a deep sleep, almost instantly. 


	2. Chapter 2

The sun shone brightly on Lance as he slowly came to. He blinked a few times, before looking around. Shadows covered his face, and he rubbed his eyes, sleepily. “Looks like I rise with the sun now-” He mumbled, getting up, and beginning to pack, yawning as he did so. Lance managed to cram everything in, before he looked around. “What now Lance? What’s your goal?”

Ultimately, he decided to keep following the river, and brainstorm about what was next. He knew that the kingdom was taken over, by Kuron, and that people suffered in the city under his rule. He had recently escaped, and now- here he was, walking to- to do what?

Oh hey, look- a cave. Lance approached the mouth of the cave, peering in. “Hello?” He asked, his voice echoing. A growl emitted from the cave, and he stumbled back. “Oops-” He whispered, smacking his head. “Way to go me.”

Lance was still curious as to what was in the cave, so he took out a candle, and lit it, continuing down, into the cave. He traveled a few feet, before he saw a pair of yellow eyes, and gave a screech, flinging his candle back. The second the candle smashed against the ground, more yellow eyes appeared, and Lance crawled back, his body scraping against the ground. “U-uh- hi?” He asked, as one of them approached him. 

“Who are you?” A voice, sounding humanlike, growled. 

Lance raised his arms. “Lance McClain- faerie- recently escaped from the city-” He surrendered, his fingers itching towards his sword. “May I ask who you are?” 

The eyes grew wide, and Lance took the opportunity to edge closer to the light and see the creature in the sun. 

“You escaped from the city?” The voice asked, getting closer to him. Lance nodded, fretfully. He could now see the creature’s delighted grin, his fangs sharp and glittering. “Good. I love a tough piece of meat-”

Lance wheezed, “A-ah- h-hey man- uh- I barely escaped with my life and- uh- I gotta- pee-” 

The creature shrugged. “A faerie doesn’t taste that different when it’s bladder is full. You’ll taste fine. Now, hold still-” 

Lance backed away hastily. “This has been really great- but I think I hear my food calling me- so uh- I’m going to leave now-”

The creature stepped on Lance’s pant leg, and Lance cursed, trapped. He could only see the jaws of the beast creeping towards him, and he closed his eyes, terrified. He could feel the hot breath creeping closer and closer, when a small sound made him open his eyes. He saw the head rolling on the ground, and he gagged. “Oh- oh god-” He mumbled, looking around for his savior. He noticed a figure in the distance and he called out, “Hey man- thanks for the save! I owe you-”

The figure leapt and tackled Lance, pointing the tip of their dagger to his chin. That was when he got his first good look at them. 

“Who are you? Why are you in here?” She growled, pressing her dagger close to his throat. Lance just stared dumbly up at her, opening his mouth. A strand of brown hair fell across her face as she leaned closer. “Answer me, pretty boy. Who are you, and why are you here?” 

Lance regained some confidence, still terrified beyond his wits however, and managed to say, “The name- the name’s Lance? Can I know who had the pleasure of both saving and killing me?” 

The girl narrowed her eyes before cautiously getting off of him. “Fine, whatever. Let’s get out of here, and then maybe we’ll both get some answers. Hurry your ass up, or I’ll leave you behind.” 

Lance blinked, getting up and rubbing his head. “Jeez. What’s your problem lady?” He grumbled, swinging his packs over his shoulder. “I’m coming, I’m coming.”  
She looked back at him, her eyes determined. “We can’t stay here, it’s too dangerous. Come on, follow me to my place.” She told him, before jumping off and heading out, running on the ground. 

Lance followed, several feet behind her, wheezing loudly. “H-hey, wait-! We- We’re not all athletes like you-” 

The girl stopped, and looked back at him, her hair moving in the wind. “We’re almost there, I live up there-” She pointed to a small area in the large tree she stood in front of. Lance reached the tree, and looked up, an eyebrow raised. 

“Impressive.” He noted, looking at her. “You made it?” 

“No, the birds did.” She replied, sarcastically, holding a hand out. “The name’s Pidge. I’m a nature faerie, lived here for four years.” 

Lance took her hand, sending her a smile. “I’m Lance. You’re an interesting faerie, Pidge. You live here by yourself?”  
Pidge’s expression grew dark, and she nodded. “My family- they live in the city. I’m trying to bring them here, one at a time, but it’s been impossible for the past years. They’ve upped security, and- wait. You recently escaped, didn’t you?”

Lance nodded. “Yeah- how can you tell?” He asked, tilting his head. 

Pidge pointed to his clothes. “Allura told you to find me- I’d know Altean clothes anywhere.” 

Lance laughed, scratching his neck. “They were really nice! And Coran told me something that stayed with me- about the Legend?” He asked. “Do you know much about it?” 

Pidge raised an eyebrow. “He told you about it? You must be special. Come on in- you can stay with me before I pack up again.”

“Pack up?”

“I rotate around, so I don’t get caught by the guards. I think someone at home accidentally let slip that I lived outside the city-” 

“Holy shit- Pidge, you build these areas multiple times? Is there anything you can’t do?” 

“Yeah- cook. So hurry and climb up, lover boy, you’re gonna make me something as a thank you gift for saving your sorry ass.”

Lance blinked. “Wait, what-” 

“You heard me-” 

Lance groaned, and began to climb the tree, huffing. She was right however, she did save him from the monsters in the cave, so he supposed he did owe her. But damn she was getting on his nerves. Lance would’ve thought she’d be sweet and pretty like Allura- but look at her, she was a wild beast. 

Pidge was waiting for him up at the top, giving him a small smile. “You climb pretty well-” She complimented, pulling him up. “Good job- now, this is my place-” She beckoned to the small area, with a bed on one side, with a bathroom next to it and a kitchen on the other side. A big window, facing the city, was all that was in between. 

Lance looked out the window, and he raised an eyebrow. “Pidge- Pidge, come see this?” he said, a sinking feeling occuring in his stomach. “Is it just me, or is the city growing darker? Like it’s-” 

“Tainted-” Pidge finished, her eyes growing wide in horror. “Oh god, it’s spreading. We need to stop this, before it reaches the forest.”

“But what could cause this?” Lance asked, looking at her. “How did this happen?” 

Pidge gritted her teeth. “Kuron. He’s doing this. He’s draining the life from the citizens and the people of the forest- he’s taking their magic, their quintessence- we have to stop him, Lance!” 

Lance’s eyes grew wide, and he looked out the window in horror, watching the dark magic slowly spread. “What do we do then? You can’t go in the city, they’ll recognize you-” 

“I’ll change my appearance.” Pidge said, determined. “We can’t not do anything, we have to save them- all the innocent civilians- all the families in there, Lance, we have to do something-!” 

Lance looked back at her, looking at her hair. “Cut your hair-” he blurted, grabbing a pair of kitchen scissors. “Dress as a boy, and cut your hair.” 

Pidge’s expression became neutral, as she took the scissors. “Right. Let’s go.” She dashed to the bathroom, and Lance headed into the kitchen, preparing more food for the two of them. Something was bugging him, in the back of his mind, as if he’d forgotten something someone had told him. He can’t remember what it is. 

“Ready to go-” Pidge’s voice called to him, and he turned, to see her with her short hair. She did look like a boy- a small, feminine little boy. 

“You look tiny-” Lance stated, raising an eyebrow, and moving to examine her. 

She pushed him away, shaking her head. “Shut up- and don’t look at me so close. Let’s go- did you make food?” 

He grinned. “That, I did.” She gave him a nod, and he packed the rest of his things, slinging his sword sheath on his back. 

“Let’s go. We don’t have that much time.” 

The next few days could only be described as an experience. The pair fell into a daily routine, as they traveled closer to the city gates. Pidge grew more and more wary of their surroundings, and Lance looked around protectively, making sure that she- they were both safe. While camping out one night, Lance stretched out onto the ground, and looked at the stars above him. “At least the stars are still shining.” He mused to himself, turning over to look at Pidge, sleeping soundly. A smile crossed his face as he thought about how far they had come, since when they first met. It had been about two weeks, and Lance was exhausted, but she was the reason he kept going. Not to mention, the prospect of saving his friends he left behind, his family- Marco, Rachel, Veronica- all of them had fallen victim to the darkness by now. Even he could notice the chills in the air, as they grew closer and closer to the source. 

Leaves began to rustle, and Lance stood, protectively. “Who’s there-” He growled, stepping in front of the sleeping girl. “Come out and show yourself-” 

Yellow eyes blinked in the leaves, and Lance stared warily at them. “I’m warning you-”

A creature stepped out of the leaves, and Lance choked on his saliva, staring at the demon. “You- you’re a demon-!” He squeaked, before looking at Pidge. “You can’t touch her-” He said, huffing. 

The demon raised his hands, and gestured for his companion to come out as well. A familiar pixie stepped out, with an apologetic smile. 

“Hunk?” Lance breathed, lowering his weapon slightly. “Is- is it really you?” 

Hunk gave him a sheepish grin, waving. “Hey Lance. Yeah, it’s me- I escaped the place a few days before-  _ that _ happened-”

“I’m- I’m so glad you’re safe but- who is this guy?” He asked, pointing the sword to the demon. 

The demon raised his hands once again, before his features came into light. “I- uh- I’m Keith- I’ve been protecting this one since he saved me from werebeasts in the forest- and I owe him greatly. I won’t hurt you, faerie Lance, or your companion, faerie Katie.”  
Instantly, he was wary again. “Who’s Katie? Are you talking about Pidge? How do you know Pidge?” He didn’t realize his voice was that loud, that the sleeping girl woke up, her hair incredibly messy.

“Lance..?” She asked softly, sitting up and stretching. “Lance, what’s goin’ on?” She mumbled, giving a yawn. 

“It’s okay Pidge. My old friend is here, and a- uh- demon named Keith claims he knows you? I think?” 

Pidge blinked, her eyes opening fully, as she rubbed them. “Keith? Keith is here?” She asked, a smile appearing on her face, as she examined her surroundings. “Keith!” She grinned and stood, attacking the demon in a hug. “Keith, I thought you were a goner, I’m so happy you’re okay!” 

Keith chuckled, rubbing her head. “I’m here- this pixie saved me, see? I told him I would protect him, and then we stumbled upon your campground and I had to see if it was actually you-”

Lance lowered his sword, squinting at the Keith guy. He didn't like him. He really, did not like him, one bit. Hunk looked over at Lance, and raised his eyebrows, teasingly. Lance glared back at him, and shook his head, huffing. 

“I missed you Katie-” Keith hummed happily, disentangling himself from her. “Where are you heading anyway?”

Pidge’s expression grew dark. “Lance and I noticed the darkness emanating from the city, and we saw that it was spreading. We’re trying to stop it, before the entire kingdom falls to the dark magic. It appears, as we go farther, and farther in, that the quintessence of living things has been sucked out of the air.” 

Keith frowned, looking at Hunk. “I don’t want you two to go by yourself, so can we possibly accompany you?” Hunk nodded in agreement, he wanted some time to catch up with Lance.

Lance however, frowned, and began to say, “No, you-”

“Of course you can!” Katie beamed, and Lance began to scowl more. 

“Great-” He huffed, beginning to pack up the campground. “Come on Pidge, let’s move before the wave appears, and we get our quintessence taken too-” 

Pidge nodded, and moved to help Lance, rolling up the packs and shoving them in one of Allura’s magical bags. “Great! We’ve only got a few days left, before we reach the gate. Are you all ready?” 

Keith nodded, looking to Hunk, who gave him a thumbs up sign. “Let’s go save the kingdom-” He said happily, following the duo as they started walking. Keith nodded, and trailed after them.


	3. Chapter 3

After three days of traveling, and bickering, mostly between Pidge, Lance and Keith, they finally made it to the wall. Lance dove into the bushes, trying to remain hidden. Hunk followed suit, and Pidge and Keith looked at each other, before sighing and doing the same. “Shh-!” Lance hissed, pointing. “Look- guards!” 

The guards patrolling the area, were unlike any that Pidge had ever seen before, and she gulped, growing nervous. Lance sent her a smile, and she retorted with a silent raspberry. He giggled, before looking back and raising an eyebrow at the soldiers. “Their aura-” He whispered. “They seem much stronger than when I first left- It’s only been about a month, I can’t understand how their power increased so quickly.”

Hunk let out a small gasp. “They’re radiating quintessence. The King has made them stronger with the magic he’s taken from everyone else-” He told the group, horrified. The others made a face, equally as horrified as the rest. “We need to stop him-” 

Keith nodded, drawing in the dirt with a stick. 

“Stop doodling, Keith, we need to come up with a plan-” Lance hissed, looking at the group. “I say that we wait until there’s only a few guards, then make a run for it, and climb the wall as fast as we can.” 

Keith shook his head, tapping at the dirt. “I’ve made a plan, gather round. 

Lance made a face, but joined the circle made by the other two. 

Keith spoke in a whisper, “We wait until there’s only a few guards left. Then we attack them, and disguise ourselves in their armour, before going into the city, in plain sight. They won’t even know we entered. Lance, Hunk, you’re going to attack as a team, and Katie and I will attack as the other team.”

Lance opened his mouth, “Now wait a minute, why should you and Pidge be together? I’ve been traveling with her for the past few weeks, not you- surely I should be the-” 

He noticed the others’ panicked faces. “What- what’s wrong-” 

Pidge pointed behind him, and Lance slowly turned around, face to face with an enraged guard. He gulped, and stood slowly, staring at him. “R-Run for it!” He yelled, spinning, and attempting to outrun the guard. 

The guard simply reached his arm out and grabbed his collar. “Not so fast, smartie. All four of you, you’re coming with us. Now.” he barked, pressing a button on his uniform. 

Pidge, Keith and Hunk groaned, glaring slightly at Lance. Lance whimpered softly, looking down, ashamed. 

The doors of the prison slammed shut, and Lance was in the corner, his head buried in his knees, so angry at himself. 

Pidge looked over at him, concerned. “Lance? Are you okay?” She asked, tentatively, reaching a hand out towards him, before flinching and bringing it back to her. 

Lance didn’t reply, and she gave a small sigh, sitting down in front of him. She poked his arm with her shackled hand, giving him a smile. “Hey, hey-” She said softly. 

Lance looked away from her, too embarrassed to look her in the eyes. “I’m sorry-” He mumbled quietly. “If we had followed Keith’s plan, we wouldn’t be here right now. It’s my fault-” 

Pidge sighed quietly. “No one blames you Lance. We would’ve ended up here sooner or later, so it’s alright. I don’t blame you, and I’m sure Keith and Hunk don’t blame you either right now. But we need to find a way out before we can do anything else. Okay?” She took his handcuffed hands with her own, and squeezed them gently. “It’s alright-” 

Lance looked at her, his eyes red, and his mouth quivering. “Are you sure?” He whispered, scared. “We’ll be okay? We’ll get out?” 

Pidge smiled, reassuringly. “We will. I promise Lance. And even if we don’t get out, we still have each other, don’t we?” 

Lance’s face grew warm, and he gave her a shaky smile. “Yeah.. we’re together- and we’ll find a way out-” 

Pidge beamed at him, nodding and standing up, extending a hand toward him. Lance took her hand, and pulled himself up carefully, looking down at her for a few moments. She stared back up at him, her small face determined. Quickly, she stood on her toes to press a small kiss to his cheek, before moving away, and looking around to find any secrets in the walls. 

Lance stood there, dumbly, trying to prevent his face from becoming a red, flushing mess. He was supposed to be able to concentrate, and she took all that and threw it out the window. He looked around for a few seconds, before spotting something, and laughing softly. “Hey, Pidgeon-” 

“Please don’t call me that-”

“Look at Keith and Hunk-” He said, pointing at the cell across from them. The two were sprawled out, arms and legs interlocked as they slept. Pidge’s lips curved into a smile, and Lance looked at her, as she fixed her glasses and watched them. 

“They’re so cute-” She giggled, looking up at him. Lance looked at her, her honey eyes glittering in the dim light. 

“Yeah- yeah, they are-” He said, looking at them, and then back at the girl in front of her. It only took a few moments to realize that he was staring, and he looked away, clearing his throat. “Anyway- how strong do you think these walls are?” He asked, moving back to kick the wall. 

Pidge adjusted her glasses once more, moving closer to examine the wall. “Pretty weak, but it depends on the force it’s against.”

“Do you think it could withstand a flood, per say?” Lance asked, a smirk appearing on his mouth. 

Pidge looked at him, before grinning back. “I think it doesn’t stand a chance. You ready?” 

Lance looked at the wall, cracking his knuckles. “Ready as I’ll ever be. Here we go.” Lance closed his eyes, and raised his hands, concentrating on the amounts of water he’s had in the past few days, and the water that surrounded him, down in the prison. He felt a tug in his gut, and he opened his eyes, grabbing Pidge’s waist and bringing her close. “Watch out-! Down the wall goes!” 

The wall fell with a crash, and Lance pulled Pidge up, carrying her as he walked on the water, out of the cell, and directly towards the other one. He put the girl down, before raising his hand and blasting the other wall down as well, releasing Keith and Hunk, who had woken from the noise he caused. 

Lance managed a grin, before flopping over and passing out. The last thing he saw before he blacked out, was Pidge’s face, leaning over him with concern. “Are you… an angel?” He managed, before passing out. 

Lance woke up about an hour later, in Pidge’s strong embrace. “Pidgey, you really love me, don’t you?” He purred softly. Pidge flushed, and upon realizing that he was awake, promptly dropped the flirty faerie. 

Lance fell, and scrambled to pick himself back up, giving Pidge a whine. Pidge pressed a finger to his lips, and handed him his sword silently. Lance got the message. 

_ Shut up, dork! _

He obliged, and crouched down, realizing his bearings and surroundings. The King’s throne room. He looked around, seeing a tube, covered by a sheet. The door opened, and two figures walked in. One appeared to be a witch, and the other was- Lance gave a silent gasp. It was the King-. 

He looked at Keith, who gave him a grim nod, beckoning him over. Keith scribbled out an explanation for Lance, to fill him in on what he missed when he was out. 

_ The witch is Haggar, and she’s controlling the king- we don’t know how, but we can tell, because of their matching, glowing eyes. To defeat the king, two of us need to defeat him, and the other two need to defeat the witch. If we defeat the witch, Pidge assumes that the witch’s control on the King will weaken, and he’ll go back to normal. But we’re not quite sure. Got it? One of us distracts them, and the other three attempt to weaken them, and defeat the witch. _

Lance gave Keith a nod, and scribble, in his horrible handwriting, 

_ Who’s the distraction? _

Keith pointed to him.  _ You. _

Lance made a face, but nodded in agreement.  _ Fine, whatever _ . 

Keith grinned, and pushed Lance out. He flopped on the floor, attracting the witch and the King’s attention. He looked up, with a small grin. “Hi?” 

Haggar hissed, and pointed at him, causing a blast of energy to strike where he was standing. Lance attempted to roll out the way, and screeched as it singed his clothes, the smell of burnt fabric filling the air. She threw her hand out again, and Lance rolled over once again, narrowly avoiding it. He managed to stand before Haggar shot another blast at him. Damn her, how is she so energized? She’s an old lady! He pointed at her, and concentrated, managing to shoot a water blast at her. She dodged, disappearing and reappearing in black smoke. Where are the other three? Weren’t they supposed to tackle Kuron by now? “Guys?” He called, trying to shoot again, ignoring the stabbing pain behind his eyes. “Guys!” He called again, panicked. 

“We’ve got you covered Lance!” Pidge called to him, and he grinned. “Get the witch and we’ll handle Kuron-” 

Lance nodded, hiding behind the throne. He peeked out, managing to hit Haggar with his water blast. “Yes-!” He whispered, before trying again. Unfortunately, she noticed his hiding spot and appeared a few feet in front of him, moving closer. Lance’s eyes widened, and he backed up, into the back of the throne as he kept advancing. His eyes roamed around as he tried to pinpoint her weakness, and continued her slow advance.  His eyes went to a mark on her neck, and he prayed that his hunch was correct. Lance summoned all his power, and shot a strong blast directly at her scar. She collapsed, and the room spun once again. He was really getting tired of passing out. 

During Lance and Haggar’s fight, Keith, Pidge and Hunk were busy distracting Kuron and forcing him to focus his attention on them, rather than on protecting the witch herself. When Haggar collapsed, Kuron’s eyes flashed a bright yellow, causing everyone to cover their eyes. When the light faded, was Kuron slumped on the ground. Cautiously, Keith and Hunk looked over at him, and Pidge noticed Lance, and ran over to him. “That dummy-” She said, a small smile on her face as she picked him up, and moved him to a safer location. “Keith, can you get the witch shackled for me?” She asked. 

Keith gave her a nod. “Hunk, watch over this guy, I have a small hunch over what happened.” Hunk gave a nod, and Keith went to find some magic proof handcuffs and shackled the witch, propping her up against a wall. Her eyes snapped open, and Keith jumped, jumpscared. 

“This is not the end-” She managed to rasp, before falling out of consciousness again. Keith scowled at her, and left her alone, making sure that she couldn’t use any magic, before heading back to Pidge and Hunk, with both unconscious Lance, and the King, who was beginning to come to. 

“I think I know what happened-” Pidge said. “I think the witch was controlling him, possessing him, and he turned into someone terrible. But now, he should be the old King we knew. Did anyone check if the kingdom was still dark and drained?” 

Hunk volunteered to check, opening the windows of the room, and looking outside. The kingdom was in fact, back to normal, and he happily reported so. Pidge poked Lance, before speaking thoughtfully. “My guess is that when Lance fired his water at the witch, she lost all control over her magic and the things she was controlling, causing her hold over both the kingdom and the King to release. So- Lance saved us all, really.” She looked down at the faerie, resting in her lap, and patted his head thoughtfully. 

The King opened his eyes and groaned. “What- what happened?” Hunk rushed to his side, followed by Keith, and Pidge let them explain everything, bending down to give Lance a quick kiss on his nose. 

Lance’s eyes fluttered open, and he looked up at her. “Uh-” 

“Hey-” Pidge smiled, looking down at him. “You did it. You saved the kingdom.”

Lance gave a tired smile. “Thank god- I wouldn’t know what to do if I had failed, or how I would face anybody.”

Pidge laughed softly. “You’re allowed to rest now, just don’t faint on me without my permission.” 

Lance returned her grin, sitting up to kiss her lips gently. He pulled away after a few seconds and poked her cheek. “As long as I get to do it with you, m’lady.” 

The kingdom had been saved, and from that day forth, remained safe and open to all creatures, regardless of previous reputations. King Shirogane gave everyone a new start, and opened doors to everybody. 

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr/twitter/instagram under losingallchill


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